3GNordic is excited to announce that Marit Sonnesyn was hired yesterday as a Summer 2013 Coach!

Marit has an extensive background in competitive cross-country skiing and will be a great addition to the coaching team.  Marit skied for 6 years for Wayzata High School, was an all-state skier twice, and helped lead her team to three section championships.  She was winner of the prestigious Athena Award at Wayzata High School and is now competing in cross-country, nordic skiing, and track at Gustavus Adolphus College.  In addition to being a great athlete and a nice person, Marit is working on a degree in biology and chemistry and spending her summer employed at a financial services firm in Plymouth.

Marit will be helping with the development of the summer training plan and will be helping lead all three practices each week through the summer.  The next time you see Marit on the trails, stop and welcome her to 3GNordic!

Where:  Minnehaha Academy’s North Campus Wax Room.  3200 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN.  Park in the front lot, and head to the doors at the Southeast Corner of the building, we’ll have signs posted.

When:  2-4 p.m. on Sunday, March 17th

Why:  Because you’re looking for a summer training program and want to learn if 3GNordic might be the one you’re looking for!  Meet some teammates, meet the coaches, and get an important ski care task taken care of!

We hope to see you there!  The more the merrier, brings friends, teammates, parents, etc… If your skis don’t need waxing, come eat snacks and meet people.  Everybody is welcome.  Please call Alex at 651-283-0321 with any questions.

Jessica loves endurance sports and has been participating in them for her whole life; her skiing career started before she could walk when her Dad would take her out in a child carrier backpack.  She has been getting faster and stronger ever since!  A talented runner, Jessica is also on her school’s track and cross country teams and frequently gets out on her bike to cross train.  Many times last summer, she biked to practice with her rollerskis strapped to her back – did the whole workout – and then biked home!

All of Jessica’s hard work getting ready for her junior year of skiing paid off very well.  After a 39^th place finish at sections her sophomore year, she improved to a 16^th place finish last week!

When asked what she liked best about 3GNordic, Jessica responded, “I like the enthusiasm that Alex brings to coaching.  I can tell he really likes to coach and ski, and that really makes 3G a good experience.”  Great answer, Jess!  :-)  She also told us she hopes to be lucky enough to keep skiing for a very long time, “Skiing is a great way to appreciate nature when it’s cold out and also to spend time with people.  Any memory of being with friends while skiing and having fun is a favorite memory!”

Skiing runs in Erin’s family – she’s been on snow since she was about 4 years old and has loved it the whole time!  In recent years, her training has intensified and it is paying off as she has had top results in both high school and citizens races through the winter.  Just last week, she was selected to represent the Midwest at Junior Nationals in Alaska.  Erin’s adventurous spirit led to a somewhat unorthodox training plan last summer – she spent a significant portion of the summer bicycling from her home in St. Paul, to her grandmother’s home in Sleepy Hallow, New York!

When asked what she liked best about training with 3GNordic, Erin said, “I love how I get to meet girls and coaches that I wouldn’t get to ski with otherwise.  I have formed some great friendships and had some great experiences.  One of my most enjoyable skiing memories was this year’s 3GNordic New Year’s Trip to Eau Claire, WI.  I loved the trails, the snow was great, and it was really fun skiing with all my friends.”

For the next week, Erin’s focus is on the Sections meet where she hopes to qualify for State.  Beyond that, she has Junior Nationals in March and aspirations to race around the world!  She hopes that someday, she will be able to coach her own ski team and pass along her enthusiasm for the sport.

On Saturday, March 24th, Come to Minnehaha Academy’s North Campus (3100 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55406) and park in the lot on the east side of the building.  We’ll have signs under the clock tower directing you towards the wax room.  We will provide all of the wax and equipment you need and will help you with the waxing if you would like.  There is no cost to you, we just want to meet you!  Come any time between 1 and 4 p.m.

We are hosting this waxing party as an alternative form of “Info Session”.  If you are at all thinking about doing a summer ski training program this summer, this is your best chance to come meet the 3G Coaches, ask some questions, and learn whether we’re a good fit for you.  All the while, getting your skis safely put away for the summer! 

If you have friends you think would like to get their skis done, invite them!  If you are a coach and think your athletes might benefit from this, please invite them too!  Bring your parents, bring your siblings, bring your coach, EVERYONE is welcome. 

If you are likely to be coming, an RSVP via email would be helpful so we can be sure to purchase enough wax.  Please email coach@3gnordic.com if you are planning to attend.  If you decide to join us last minute and haven’t RSVP’d, that’s okay too, we would still like you to come! 

See you the afternoon of the 24th!

Alissa at Mesabi

3G Athlete, Alissa Johnson, just wrapped up her Junior season at Minnetonka High School and is the first skier to be featured in our new series of Athlete Profiles.  Alissa started skiing regularly in middle school, started racing her freshman year, and last summer made it her main goal to compete in the 2012 state meet.

To help work towards this goal, she bought her first set of rollerskis and joined 3G’s full-time summer program, training with us 3 days a week.  Last fall, she learned to row and competed with Twin Cities Youth Rowing during the week and also rollerskied with 3G on Sunday afternoons.  Her hard work paid off, and after placing 31st in the 2011 Section Meet, she placed 15th in 2012 and qualified for state!  When asked about her summer training, Alissa said, “3G was probably one of the best experiences of my summer – every day was a different adventure!  The coaching staff was friendly and approachable and I felt challenged, both physically and mentally.”

When not diligently training, Alissa does some coaching herself!  She is a volunteer for Nellie Stone Johnson Community School in Minneapolis, helping pass her skiing knowledge on to their enthusiastic kids.  What a lucky team!

We’re excited to have Alissa back with us next summer as she sets her goals higher for her senior year and continues to work hard.